Phrase

We were out of options. Our luck had run out when I fell and ruined my ankle. Remy tried to keep me going but I slowed us down enough that they caught us with some smokes and surrounded us. I counted thirty-two of them in the circle, slowly closing in on us. Thirty-two of them against the two of us--hopeless odds. Alone, Remy could escape, but I didn't have a chance of surviving now.

"Looks like th'end of our road, Ash. Was a good run--"

"Why don't you go, Rem? You can make it."

"Heh, no way, sugar. Come too far for that. I'm in for the end. Though I'll admit it ain't lookin' too bright 'bout now. Oh well, fun run at least, eh?"

"Why'd you do this?"

"The frak you mean?"

"Why did you come for me? You don't even care--"

"Bull an' you know it. Stow that--"

"But you can't even tell me you love me--"

"'Xactly, sweetheart. Can't. Ain't that I don't wanna, no matter what idea you got bouncin in that pretty little head o' yours. It's can't, not won't. Can't 'splain it either. Jus' how it is. Now if you got somethin' worth sayin' last, best go for it now."

"Remy, that doesn't even...just do it, please. If you won't go then tell me! If you really do there's no reason why you 'can't.' Tell me that you love me...I need you to so much."

"How many times I gotta--" he cut himself off and looked away, "Heh, plan's all gone t' Hell anyways, ain't it? Might as well go out with a bang." When our eyes met again I saw something I'd never seen in Remy before--peace. "Ashton...I love you."

The explosion came so quick I didn't have time to blink.

----

"What was that?"

"He did it. That sunuva--he actually did it..."

"Did what?"

"Remy said his phrase. Ain't nothin' else in there that could trigger a det like that. Let's go."

"His phrase? What are you talking about? Wait! We can't go without him! What about Ash? She might--"

"Remy's gone, kid. An' if he went like that, so is Ashton. It's jus' you an' me now. Can't expect you to understand what went down there--y'ain't like me 'n' Remy. Ash never got it either. C'mon, we gotta git while we can. Nothin' to wait for now."